"So long, Minnesota, and thanks for all the fish!" he wrote (@chriswarcraft) on Monday morning, May 6.

"Thank you to all the fans, my teammates, and the Wilf family for the past 8.5 years. I wouldn't have traded it for anything.

"And thank you everyone for your support. Remember, one label does not define who you are as a person :)"

Kluwe's release was considered all but a formality after the Vikings drafted UCLA's Jeff Locke in the fifth round late last month. That was the earliest the franchise ever had selected a punter and the first punter Minnesota had drafted in a decade. The previous year, the Vikings drafted kicker Blair Walsh in the sixth round and then cut incumbent Ryan Longwell after watching Walsh in the rookie camp.Kluwe has been one of Minnesota's most outspoken and controversial athletes of the 21st century. Also a UCLA product -- he had entered the school with a perfect verbal score on his SAT -- he became known for some of his off-field pursuits. He loved video games and became a sensation on "Guitar Hero" and a traditional guitarist in his own band, Tripping Icarus.